Octopus briareus
Caribbean Reef Octopus [+]

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae
Genus: Octopus
species: Octopus briareus
+ITIS +WoRMS +Conservation Status

Description & Behavior

The Caribbean reef octopus, Octopus briareus (Robson, 1929), is characterized by its distinctive blue-green color with occasional mottled-brown markings. Like other octopus species, the Caribbean reef octopus is solitary animal and able to quickly change color using specialized cells in their skin known as chromatophores. The body of this amazing cephalopod has been measured to 12 cm with arms to at least 60 cm. They can weigh up to 1.5 kg.

World Range & Habitat

The Caribbean reef octopus is common throughout the Western Atlantic, Bahamas, Caribbean and the coasts of northern South America. It is often found at night feeding on reefs and sea grass beds. Because their blue-green skin is so reflective, they are easy to spot at night with dive lights.

» GBIF occurrence data in Google Earth [Requirements | Tips] | Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) [World Map] | [about]

Feeding Behavior (Ecology)

Octopus briareus feeds on a wide array of animals including primarily crustaceans as well as small fish and bivalves. This species often feeds by spreading its webbed arms to form a canopy to net its prey.

Caribbean reef octopus, Octopus briareus

Life History

Caribbean reef octopuses reproduce sexually. Males and females are similar in size, color and behavior except for the presence of hectocotylus (a modified arm of the male of certain cephalopods, such as the octopus, functioning as a reproductive organ in the transference of sperm to the mantle cavity of the female) in males. Fertile females collected from the Keys have been observed laying approximately 500 large eggs around January. After about 50-80 days (quicker in warmer waters) the eggs hatch. The hatchlings are able to move like adults using jet propulsion and they can also eject ink and crawl like adults. The young octopuses grow very quickly and within about 17 weeks the young reach about 75% of the adult size. Male Caribbean reef octopuses are sexually mature in 140 days and females in 150 days.

Comments

They can be easily studied and bred in laboratories. Hanlon and Forsythe (1985) have found that O. briareus is cannibalistic in group culture.

References & Further Research

BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia

Wood J.B., Day C.L., del Pino D. Forsythe J.W., DiMarco P. Lee P.G. and ODor R.K. CephBase.
Norman, M., Debelius, H. 2000. Cephalopods - A World Guide, Conchbooks, Germany. 319 p.
Cephalopods of the World, Volume 1. Chambered Nautiluses and Sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae), FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 4, Vol. 1
TONMO.com - The Octopus News Magazine Online
Hanlon, R. T. and J. W. Forsythe. 1985. Advances in the Laboratory Culture of Octopuses for biomedical Research. Laboratory Animal Science. 35(1); 33-40.
Tree of Life: Octopodidae

Search the Web for Caribbean Reef Octopus » ARKive ~ Ask.com ~ Ask Jeeves ~ bing ~ deviantART ~ dmoz ~ Dogpile ~ Google Images ~ MySpace Images ~ OceanFootage ~ Picsearch ~ StumbleUpon ~ Yahoo! Images ~ YouTube

Feedback?

Citation: Octopus briareus, Caribbean Reef Octopus - MarineBio.org. Retrieved , from .

Get Involved! Join the MarineBio Society | Partners & Sponsors | Frontline Marine Conservation Support

~ Sharing the wonders of the ocean to inspire conservation, education, research, and a sea ethic ~
MarineBio.org, Inc. is a US 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization: info@marinebio.org | +1 (713) 248.2576 PST
All MarineBio Society memberships and donations are tax deductible in the United States.
© 1998-2009 Copyright & Terms of Use. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.
><((((°> Surf with

and Google Chrome >-<°°>-<

Octopus briareus Caribbean Reef Octopus [+]